Good Food, Mad City November Food Events

November is the time for the biggest food holiday of the year: Thanksgiving. It is also a time to give thanks and support those in need. Charlotte food events this month offer many opportunities to give back to organizations such as Charlotte SPCA, Toys for our Troops and Project Halo. In the beer department, Strange Brew Beer Festival is returning this month, where regional breweries will compete to craft the weirdest concoction. If you are looking to explore outside of Charlotte this month, Asheville is hosting two large beer festivals, both which would make for a perfect weekend getaway. Get your appetite ready for the holidays with these exciting events:

Strange Brew 2017 Beer Festival

While Halloween may be over, Unknown Brewing Company is bringing back Strange Brew Beer fest. Some of the region’s best breweries will be coming together to tap into beers you would never expect, or even think to create. Join NoDa Brewing, Sycamore Brewing, Wicked Weed Brewing and more as they compete to create the strangest beer of them all. With purchase of a ticket, you will get unlimited samples, live music, great food and some unique activities to participate in. The winner last year was D9 Brewing Company’s Peter Pepper beer so if you are an adventurous beer lover, check out this years flavors.

Pizza Fur a Paws

There is nothing better than a wood-fired pizza, especially when $5 from every pizza sold will be donated to the Greater Charlotte SPCA. To celebrate this volunteer based organization, the Inizio patio will be filled with all things dog. There will be a dog Halloween Costume Contest starting at 1:00 p.m. and vendors such as pet photographers, Pet Wants and Green Brothers Juice Company will be present. If you are in the market for a new furry friend, come grab a pizza and look at adoptable dogs in the Charlotte area.

Charlotte Magazine Whiskey Bash

Join Charlotte Magazine for their first ever Whiskey Bash where you will be able to sample and savor dozens of whiskeys. For the whiskey novice, there will be demonstrations on every aspect of whiskey from production to flavors. Even the whiskey connoisseur will enjoy the spirit tastings, full bar, food, live music and complimentary whiskey glass. Upgrade to VIP for heavy hors d’oeuvres, access to the VIP lounge and bar with featured whiskey drinks and a VIP swag bag.

Luca I Love Art Series

Art and cuisine have been known to compliment each other for centuries and Luca Modern Italian Kitchen would like to bring this philosophy to Charlotte. Enjoy and celebrate vibrant and abstract artwork by local artist Robyn Moore while enjoying the best Italian food in town. Chef Luca will whip up complimentary hor d’oeuvres and wine will be half off all night. A portion of proceeds from the cash bar and dinner fare will be donated to the National Autoimmune Association.

Fall Oyster Roast

Nothing says fall like steamed oysters and seasonal craft beer. Head to Sycamore Brewing on November 4 for buckets of oysters, bowls of clam chowder and some cold brews. Sea Level NC in Uptown will provide fresh roasted and steamed oysters. Pluto for Planet and Falconheart will be performing live music while you eat oysters all day, as the unlimited all you can eat option is only $40.

Asheville Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival

Food Truck Festivals of America is bringing its very first Food Truck Festival to NC. Some of North Carolina’s most popular food trucks will be in attendance along with dozens of regional and national craft breweries. Try some classic North Carolina grub and fan favorites while sipping on a cold beer, sold for $6 per ticket. VIP will also get you early entry, discounted beer and a free dessert from the festival.

NC Apple Pressing and Cider Day

Red Clay Ciderworks is teaching you everything you need to know about apple cider, just in time for Thanksgiving. There will be two demonstrations where you can learn the cider making process from beginning to end as well as fresh apple juice for sale to make your own cider at home. Fresh cider doughnuts, cake pops and hot mulled cider will be available for purchase. A pumpkin painting station will be set up to get the whole family in the Thanksgiving mood while enjoying fall refreshments.

CLT’s MAC down Mac-n-Cheese Competition & Craft Beer Tasting

Spend the day sampling your favorite childhood comfort food at CLT’s Mac Down. There will be over 20 unique mac and cheese samples from Charlotte’s top restaurants including Kid Cashew, JackBeagles and Smoke BBQ Grill. Your ticket includes unlimited beer pairings from regional and local breweries such as Sycamore Brewing, Lenny Boy Brewing Co, Sugar Creek Brewery and River Dog Brewery to wash down the unlimited macaroni. There will be entertainment and a college football corner to keep you busy while you sample specialty macs such as truffle braised duck and white cheddar and chorizo. The proceeds will be benefiting Project Halo, a nonprofit, no kill animal shelter in Charlotte.

7th Annual Chili Cook Off

Nothing says football season like chili and The String Bean will be hosting their seventh annual Chili Cook off this month. Instead of the winner taking home the money this year, the winning team will decide which nonprofit will take the cash prize. Along with plentiful bowls of chili, there will be craft beer provided by Oskar Blues, games, a bounce house and even a hot pepper eating contest. If you think your chili recipe is one to brag about, get it out and compete for the cause or charity most dear to you.

Pig & Pinot Tasting

Chef Fred of The Cellar at Duckworth’s has created a wine tasting menu focused on pork and pinot for only $30. There will be six wines from all over the globe from Italy to New Zealand to Oregon. Each wine will be paired with a tasty pork course ranging from pork belly with blackberry pinot noir BBQ sauce and pulled pork finger sandwiches with Chinese 5 spices and banh mi slaw. Come try The Cellar at Duckworth’s gourmet fare while sipping on wines from every region of the world.

Oyster Roast and Order/fire screening

Come watch the third episode of the third season of Order/fire showcasing Travis Croxton, co-owner of Rappahannock River Oysters. Travis will be at Free Range Brewing roasting and shucking oysters for you to enjoy while previewing the episode. Chef Shane of Rocksalt will also be present with other tasty bites and Free Range will be releasing Sea of Companions, an 8% Carolina Oyster Stout, made with the RRO oysters. All proceeds from this oyster filled day will go to Piedmont Culinary Guild so enjoy some fresh oysters and good company.

Charlotte ThanksLiving

Cotton Branch Animal Sanctuary is partnering with Fern to create a delicious three-course holiday meal. There will be two seatings at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. where you can enjoy a dinner created by executive chef Matt Martin and hear what Cotton Branch has done for formerly abused and neglected farm animals. The night will start off with a creamy cauliflower bisque with tangy pickled raisins followed by a vegan shepards pie with a lentil and corn base. A cashew pumpkin mousse with cherry jam will finish the evening. Enjoy a night of vegan fare and good company will also supporting Cotton Brand.

Heirloom Hemp Dinner

Leave it to Heirloom to create another tasting menu using a unique local product: Carolina hemp from Lucky Clays Farm. Come learn about the mysterious hemp crop while Chef Clark Barlowe discusses the culinary uses of the product. This five-course dinner will be the first legal hemp consumption event in over 80 years in the state of North Carolina and, no, there will be no mind-altering properties of the hemp used in this dinner. Head to Heirloom on November 12 to learn and taste this obscure ingredient.

Ten Paces Dinner Series: Mirror Image Dinner

Chef Chris Coleman of Stoke and Chef Nicolas Daniels of Loft and Cellar are facing off again in this five-course dinner presentation. For the second dinner in this series, guests will get the chance to submit three southern dishes and three international dinners, which will be picked at random. A dish will be picked for each of the five courses and guests will get to try the dish in two styles: Coleman’s Southern style and Daniels’ Spanish and international flare. Votes will then be collected and the real culinary chef of Uptown will be decided. This dinner is sure to be filled with decadent fare, friendly competition and plenty of laughter.

Fall Oyster Roast

Rocksalt and Rappahannock River Oysters, LLC are bringing the freshest steamed oysters to Birdsong Brewing Co for the Fall Oyster Roast. Birdsong Brewing Co will be tapping into a fresh batch of their Clustershuck Oyster Stout made from fresh oysters. The Panthers are off this Sunday so grab a friend and head to Birdsong Brewing Co for a day filled of fresh oysters and local beer.

2017 Rural Hill Oyster Roast

It’s the time of the year to warm up outside with a basket of steamed oysters! Head to Rural Hill for their benefit dinner to raise funds for the organization’s educational programs, farming and historic preservations. Each bucket of oyster is only $10 and comes with 8-10 steamed oysters, lemon, cocktail sauce and crackers all prepared by award winning chef, Dan Huntley. Highland Brewing and Shelton Vineyards will be providing libations to wash down the fresh oysters as well as Smoke and Go Food Truck and Anna’s Sweet Treats desserts. Stop by Historic Rural Hill for a nice fall day filled with food, drinks, music, bonfires and hayrides.

Cooking Gene with Michael Twitty

As the year winds down, so does The Asbury’s collaboration dinner series. For the final collaborative dinner of the year, The Asbury welcomes Michael Twitty, culinary historian and cookbook author, to discuss his new book: The Cooking Gene. In his book, he traces his ancestors back to the 1600s and in the process, traces back the food of his heritage. Twitty and Chef Krenz will be collaborating on this eye opening evening featuring recipes from the Cooking Gene to broaden diners’ appreciation of the culture and sacrifices that gave us Southern food. The menu will feature cornbread kush, brined chicken, african soul fried rice and mom’s apple crisp and the cost of the dinner includes wine and spirit pairings.